they are to make a breastplate of judgment in the same fashion as the
ephod. You will cover it with settings for stones. There will be four rows
of stones: a ruby, a topaz, and an emerald in the first row; a chrysoprase,
a sapphire, and a diamond in the second row; a lapis lazuli, an agate,
and an amethyst in the third row; and an aquamarine, a sard, and a
jasper in the fourth row. These stones will be next to the names of the
sons of Israel. For the twelve tribes there will be engravings on a signet
stone next to their names. Aaron will carry the Urim and Thummim on
the breastplate of judgment. The Urim and Thummim should be over
Aaron’s heart when he walks before Jehovah. (Exodus 28 : 6 , 15 – 21 , 30 )
The symbolic meanings of Aaron’s clothes—his ephod, outer gar-
ment, inner garment, turban, and belt—have been given in Secrets of
Heaven,published in London, in the treatment on this chapter [§§ 9834 –
9835 , 9856 – 9878 , 9905 – 9909 ]. There I showed that the ephod represents
divine truth in its outermost form. Its precious stones represent truths
made translucent by goodness. Twelve of them in four rows mean all
truths of this kind from first to last. The twelve tribes mean every aspect
of the church. The breastplate means the divine truth that comes from
divine goodness in a universal sense. The Urim and Thummim mean the
outermost radiance of the divine truth that comes from divine goodness.
Urim means “shining fire.” Thummim means “radiance” in angelic lan-
guage and “wholeness” in Hebrew. I also mentioned there that answers
came through variations of light and a quiet awareness or else by direct
verbal communication, and so on.
All this makes it clear that these stones stood for the truths in the
outermost meaning of the Word that come from goodness. No other
truths give answers from heaven. The divine emanating influence is fully
present in the Word’s outermost meaning.219 3. The precious stones from the garden of Eden that the king of Tyre is
said to have worn mean the same thing.We read in Ezekiel,
O king of Tyre, you who seal up your measurement, you were full of
wisdom and perfect in beauty. You were in Eden, the garden of God.
Every precious stone was your covering: ruby, topaz, and diamond;
beryl, sardonyx, and jasper; sapphire, chrysoprase, and emerald; and
gold. (Ezekiel 28 : 12 , 13 )
In the Word, “Tyre” means the church in relation to its concepts of
goodness and truth. The “king” means the truth in the church. The garden
of Eden means wisdom and intelligence gained from the Word. Precious